# A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce - Hardcover

by **Massimo Montanari** (Author), **Gregory Conti** (Translator)

**Intellectually engaging and deliciously readable, a stereotype-defying history of how one of the most recognisable symbols of Italian cuisine and national identity is the product of centuries of encounters, dialogue, and exchange.**

  

Is it possible to identify a starting point in history from which everything else unfolds--a single moment that can explain the present and reveal the essence of our identities? According to Massimo Montanari, this is just a myth: by themselves, origins explain very little and historical phenomena can only be understood dynamically--by looking at how events and identities develop and change as a result of encounters and combinations that are often unexpected.

  

As Montanari shows in this lively, brilliant, and surprising essay, all you need to debunk the "origins myth" is a plate of spaghetti. By tracing the history of the one of Italy's "national dishes"--from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the 20th century--he shows that in order to understand who we are (our identity) we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions.

**Number of Pages:** 128

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 8.4 x 5.3 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** November 16, 2021

## Details

- **Price:** 18.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/a-short-history-of-spaghetti-with-tomato-sauce-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23
